Weekend Open Thread: Robocop Remake and Concealed Carry Mashup

By
Greg Diamond
– February 14, 2014Posted in: "The OC", Fresh Juice

You remember watching Robocop — or, for some of you, perhaps you don’t, but you probably know of its existence.  A new remake came out this week — but this is not the topic of today’s post.  Instead, check out this one, which looks like its a lot better use of your time and money.  I’ve only watched portions of it, but I plan on settling in for the whole thing this weekend.  What I’ve seen of it so far is lots of fun.  I can’t embed it, so click to watch.

Robocop parody

Note: large puppet-controlling hands not part of the original, so far as I can recall.

And if that’s not funny enough, try this: the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal has struck down California’s concealed carry law, stating that the state not simply may, but must — technically, “shall” — issue concealed carry permits.

In a significant victory for gun owners, a divided federal appeals court Thursday struck down California rules that permit counties to restrict as they see fit the right to carry a concealed weapon in public.

The 2-1 ruling by a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel would overturn restrictions on carrying concealed handguns, primarily affecting California’s most populated regions, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and San Francisco.

The majority said the restrictions violate the 2nd Amendment’s guarantee of the right to bear arms because they deny law-abiding citizens the ability to carry weapons in public unless they show they need the protection for specific reasons.

“We are not holding that the Second Amendment requires the states to permit concealed carry,” Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, a Reagan appointee, wrote for the panel. “But the Second Amendment does require that the states permit some form of carry for self-defense outside the home.”

…

California’s rules will remain in effect for the foreseeable future, pending appeals. Officials in San Diego County said they may seek a rehearing before a larger 9th Circuit panel, and experts said the issue would eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Because O’Scannlain (more or less the Antonin Scalia of the circuit, but better behaved) was joined on the three-judge panel by fellow conservative Consuela Callaghan, over the dissent of liberal judge Sidney Thomas, by law no one is allowed to refer this as “judicial activism.”  So you can come up with your own words for it.

Will the decision go to an eleven-judge en banc hearing?  It’s been over ten years since I clerked on the court, but unless things have changed much I’m still confident that the answer is “yes.”  Will people die as a result of this, if it is upheld?  Well, ask yourself this: what are police patrolling Latino and African-American communities going to do if they have good reason to presume that anyone they see is carrying a gun?  Practically, so long as felons can still be prevented from access to firearms, this would most likely lead to an increased drive to make sure that as many Latino youth as possible are arrested, accept plea deals, and then placed on parole.  As a bonus for people who want to prevent both violent and non-violent uprising, this would prevent them from voting.

Does that sound like sarcasm?  Nope — it’s just a little hyperbole.  For now, “a little,” anyway.

This is your Weekend Open Thread.  Talk about that, or whatever else you’d like, within reasonable bounds of decorum, discretion, dignity, and dharma.  Dearthwatch may or may not follow.

Either way — Happy Valentine’s Day, if you don’t find the notion of celebrating that holiday offensive — and if you do, Sad Valentine’s Day!

About Greg Diamond

Somewhat verbose attorney, semi-disabled and semi-retired, residing in northwest Brea. Occasionally ran for office against jerks who otherwise would have gonr unopposed. Got 45% of the vote against Bob Huff for State Senate in 2012; Josh Newman then won the seat in 2016. In 2014 became the first attorney to challenge OCDA Tony Rackauckas since 2002; Todd Spitzer then won that seat in 2018. Every time he's run against some rotten incumbent, the *next* person to challenge them wins! He's OK with that. Corrupt party hacks hate him. He's OK with that too. He does advise some local campaigns informally and (so far) without compensation. (If that last bit changes, he will declare the interest.) His daughter is a professional campaign treasurer. He doesn't usually know whom she and her firm represent. Whether they do so never influences his endorsements or coverage. (He does have his own strong opinions.) But when he does check campaign finance forms, he is often happily surprised to learn that good candidates he respects often DO hire her firm. (Maybe bad ones are scared off by his relationship with her, but they needn't be.)